'Scarce' definitions:

Definition of 'scarce'

From: WordNet
adverb
Only a very short time before; "they could barely hear the speaker"; "we hardly knew them"; "just missed being hit"; "had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"; "would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats [syn: barely, hardly, just, scarcely, scarce]
adjective
Deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand; "fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought" [ant: abundant]

Definition of 'Scarce'

From: GCIDE
  • Scarce \Scarce\ (sk[^a]rs), a. [Compar. Scarcer (sk[^a]r"s[~e]r); superl. Scarcest.] [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, excarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See Carpet, and cf. Excerp.]
  • 1. Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [1913 Webster]
  • You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and therefore risen one fifth in value. --Locke. [1913 Webster]
  • The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a medallion well preserved. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); -- with of. [Obs.] "A region scarce of prey." --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy. [Obs.] "Too scarce ne too sparing." --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
  • To make one's self scarce, to decamp; to depart. [Slang] [1913 Webster]
  • Syn: Rare; infrequent; deficient. See Rare. [1913 Webster] Scarce

Definition of 'Scarce'

From: GCIDE
  • Scarce \Scarce\, Scarcely \Scarce"ly\, adv.
  • 1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just. [1913 Webster]
  • With a scarce well-lighted flame. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • The eldest scarcely five year was of age. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
  • Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived who had been sent for my ransom. --W. Irving. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Frugally; penuriously. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Words containing 'Scarce'